The invention relates generally to power semiconductor modules.
When high current carrying power semiconductor modules (modules operating at or above 100 amperes, for example) must withstand high temperatures, such modules are often fabricated with silicon carbide (SiC) devices. SiC is useful for high temperature applications, but producing low defects per wafer in SiC is a challenge.
Semiconductor devices made on SiC wafers are often relatively small in order to obtain higher percentage yields of good working devices. For example, typical geometries for a SiC diode are approximately three millimeters by three millimeters by 0.359 millimeters, and typical geometries of an active device such as a SiC MOSFET range from 1.2 millimeters to 4 millimeters per side with gate geometries as small as 250 micrometers and source pads as small as 390 micrometers.
In many SiC power semiconductor modules, SiC devices are coupled in parallel to provide higher current carrying capability. These SiC devices are typically in the six ampere to twenty ampere range. Small gate and source or emitter contact pads have very fine geometry that can be difficult to interconnect when a large number of these devices are coupled in parallel.